Process of manufacturing roofs without seams



No. 625,723. Patentod May 23, I899.

F. GEHRE.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING BOOFS WITHOUT SEAMS.

(Ayplication filed June 15, 1898.)

(No Model.)

THE u'onms PETERS co. FHOTO-LITHCL, WASHYNGTON, o. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

FRITZ GEHRE, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EUGENE GERMAIN, OE LOS'ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING ROOFS WITHOUT SEAMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent N 0. 625,723, dated May 23, 1899.-

' Application filed June 15, 1898. Serial No. 683,504. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRITZ GEHRE, a citizen of Germany, residing at Zurich, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Manufacturing Roofs Without Seams; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to the construction and manufacture of a seamless roof made of material that resists all atmospheric changes. It is composed .of iron parts and a cement formed of sawdust and a new artificial stone.

I-Ieretofore composite roofs have had the great disadvantage of representing a whole mass made of many parts and formingaroof which is not free of seams on account of the use of many individual parts, so that very soon rain or moisture penetrates to the interior of the building. The roof of woodce- Inent, though constituting one single mass, is also non-waterproof. Moreover, the weight of the material employed as a roof-covering is not insignificant, and therefore rafters of considerable dimensions are necessary for carrying it. By my construction all these inconveniences are obviated.

For a better understanding reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a cross-section of a roof constructed in accordance with my invention;

also a side view of one of the angle-irons a. Fig. 2 is a similar View, but showing the angle -irons placed directly upon the rafters. Fig. 3 illustrates details of construction. Fig. at is a partial elevation of the roof. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the general arrangement of the wire network.

In flat roofs the rafters h are sheathed with cement laths or boards, as shown in Fig. l at e, and upon the latter angle-irons a are secured, having a thickness of less than onefourth of an inch and a width of less than two inches for the strip which rests upon the boards and of less than one inch for the strip or web at right angles thereto. The angleirons a are secured on the boards at a distance of about three feet, and between the upstanding webs plates 1) are inserted. These plates preferably consist of a composition of sawdust and artificial stone, the latter forming the subject-matter of another patent application. This composition is applied in the form of a mortar which binds with the angleirons a in a compact and waterproof manner. \Nhen the plates 1) have been exposed for twenty-four hours, the said artificial-stone mass 0 is applied upon them in one cast, so that a roof is formed exhibiting no seam and which is perfectly waterproof and highly resistent to the atmosphere.

The artificial-stone mass 0 consists of three to four parts of magnesia obtained as a prod not of the potassium industry, or of magnesite burned in a special manner, which are mixed with one part of cyrstallinic or dense limestone spar previously moistened with a solution consisting of about forty per cent. of chlorid of magnesium and about ten percent.

of chlorate of aluminium and water.

If itis not desirable to use the cement plates or boards I), the rafters it may serve as a direct support to the above-described angleirons, as shown in Fig. 2, which then should be placed at a distance apart of about eighteen inches, and the upstanding web or strip should have a width of one andone-half inches. In this case the sawdust plates Z? are made one half inch longer; but for the rest the process for forming the roof is the same as above described. i

In steep roots, as shown in Fig. 3, the upstanding web of the angle-iron a is provided with a semicircular notch (1, serving to lead the water toward the gutter.

If it is desirable to strengthen the construction for any other reason, the sawdust plates b can be covered with tinned nails f with broad heads, (one and one-half inches broad,) to be driven into them. These nails are then connected witheaoh other by fine tinned-iron wires 9, as shown in diagram, Fig. 5. Thus a wire-netting is formed, upon which the artificial-stone mass is placed. Rafters and other constructive parts of the roof may consequently be made of much lighter material, according to the weight they are to sustain. Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A roof, such as described, composed of angle-irons secured on a sheathing upon the in presence of two Witnesses.

rafters, said angle-irons receiving between them plates 1) of artificial stone and sawdust,

and an outer supplemental coating of artificial stone, substantially as specified.

2. A seamless roof composed of angle-irons suitably supported and provided with semicircular notches d, said angle-irons receiving between them plates b of artificial stone and sawdust,with nails having broad heads driven in the same, and tinned wires connecting the nails, and a coating of artificial stone applied thereupon, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature FRITZ GEHRE.

Witnesses:

EUGENE GERMAIN, P. H. LIEBERKNECHT. 

